FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 47 



after Paul, but before the writing of this epistle. This im- 

 plied account of the several events, and of the order in 

 which they took place, corresponds exactly with the liistory. 

 St. Paul, after his first visit into Greece, returned from Cor- 

 inth into Syria by the way of Ephesus ; and dropping his 

 companions Aquila and Priscilla at Ephesus, he proceeded 

 forwards to Jerusalem; from Jerusalem he descended to 

 Antioch; and from thence made a progress through some of 

 the upper or northern provinces of the Lesser Asia, Acts 

 18 : 19, 23 ; during which progress, and consequently in the 

 interval between St. Paul's first and second visit to Corinth, 

 and consequently also before the writing of this epistle, 

 which was at Ephesus, two years at least after the apostle's 

 return from his progress, we hear of Apollos, and we hear 

 of him at Corinth. While St. Paul was engaged, as has 

 been said, in Phrygia and Galatia, Apollos came down to 

 Ephesus ; and being, in St. Paul's absence, instructed by 

 Aquila and Priscilla, and having obtained letters of recom- 

 mendation from the church at Ephesus, he passed over to 

 Achaia ; and when he was there, we read that he " helped 

 them much which had believed through grace : for he 

 mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly." Acts 

 18 : 27, 28. To have brought Apollos into Achaia, of which 

 Corinth was the capital city, as well as the principal Chris- 

 tian church, and to have shown that he preached the gospel 

 in that country, would have been sufficient for our purpose. 

 But the history happens also to mention Corinth by name, 

 as the place in which Apollos, after his arrival in Achaia. 

 fixed his residence ; for, proceeding with the account of St. 

 Paul's travels, it tells us, that while Apollos was at Cor- 

 inth, Paul, having passed through the upper coasts, came 

 down to Ephesus. Chap. 19 : 1. What is said, therefore, 

 of Apolbs in the epistle, coincides exactly, and especially in 

 the point of chronology, with what is delivered concerning 

 him in the history. The only question now is, whether the 

 allusions were made with a regard to this coincidence. Now 



